Mosque

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT MOSQUE - PAGE 5

Thorough investigation of prison escapes is needed To the editor: I have been following the story of the recent escape by an inmate from Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown, a medium-security prison. This was the second escape in less than two years. I understand the public is concerned and they should be concerned. One escape from a medium-security prison is very serious; two escapes from the same prison are unacceptable. This is a red flag that something is seriously wrong.

The Islamic Society of Western Maryland hosted a prayer and celebration for the Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Adha on Sunday. A formal prayer was held at Hager Hall on Dual Highway to accommodate a gathering of about 700 people, said Dr. Shahab Siddiqui, who represents the Islamic Society of Western Maryland. People came from as far away as Warfordsburg, Pa.; Romney, W.Va.; and Cumberland, Md., he said. Afterward, about 400 people attended a social event at the mosque, on Day Road, that included food and fun activities for children, he said.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- A series of bomb attacks targeting Shiite pilgrims and worshippers struck Iraq on Friday, killing at least 27 people and seriously damaging a mosque, police and medical officials said. The incidents are the latest in a series that have targeted Shiites, raising concerns that insurgents are stepping up attacks, hoping to re-ignite sectarian violence that nearly tore the country apart in 2006 and 2007. Though violence has dramatically declined in Iraq in the past two years, U.S. officials have repeatedly called the security gains fragile and cautioned that a waning insurgency still has the ability to pull off sporadic, high profile attacks.

"To the caller concerned about the campaign posters in the cemetery: Well, the dead have been known to vote now and then. " - Knoxville, Md. "To the caller who won't patronize Washington County businesses due to a Republican sign: Further reinforces my thoughts that Democrats and/or liberals cannot have a logical conversation on matters of importance, and can only attack people with views which are different from their own....

Today is Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, the most eminent holiday on the Muslim calendar. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Dul-Hijja, 70 days after the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha commemorates Abraham's commitment to obey God. The Quran tells how one of Abraham's chief trials was to face God's command to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering. Abraham prepared to submit to his Lord's will. However, just before Abraham killed his son, God revealed that Abraham's sacrifice had already been fulfilled because Abraham showed that his love for God superceded all others and that he would give up his most loved one for the sake of God. Therefore, God spared Ishmael, and instead allowed Abraham to sacrifice a ram. Directly preceeding Eid al-Adha, millions of Muslims from all around the world gather in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the annual pilgrimage called Hajj.

In an America notable for its faith, there is still plenty of disbelief to go around. The novelist Michael Crichton, who died recently, went to his grave disbelieving in global warming. In one of his last books Crichton argued that the science supporting climate change was shaky and that we would only be saddling future generations with huge debts to solve an environmental problem that might not exist. The president of Iran famously disbelieves in the Holocaust, a skepticism that is prompted by his antagonism toward Israel.

scottb@herald-mail.com HAGERSTOWN - More than 250 people from the Tri-State area gathered Sunday night in Hagerstown to celebrate the end of the monthlong holy observance of Ramadan. While most of those in attendance were from Washington County, there were Muslims from West Virginia and Pennsylvania present, said Dr. Shahab Siddiqui, an event organizer and social services director for the Islamic Society of Western Maryland. The regional event was at a hotel on Dual Highway because there was not enough room at the mosque, Siddiqui said.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Some 5,000 U.S. Marines, British troops and Iraqi forces launched a new offensive Tuesday aimed at clearing a swath of insurgent hotbeds across a cluster of dusty, small towns south of Baghdad. The series of raids and house searches was the third large-scale military operation this month aimed at suppressing Iraq's Sunni Muslim insurgency ahead of crucial elections set for Jan. 30. The assault aims to stem an increase of violence in an area that has been notorious for months as a danger zone.

If you live in an area where there are a lot of mosquitoes you know the absolute frustration in trying to deal with them when you're out doors or if they happen to get into your bedroom at night. The constant buzzing around and the futile attempts to swat them before they can bite you can ruin your whole night. Unfortunately, there isn't much one can do to stop them but everyone tries. One attempt involves a "bug zapper". This is a device that actually attracts mosquitoes (and a whole lot of other bugs)

HAGERSTOWN -- About 80 people attended the Hagerstown City Council meeting on Tuesday night to learn more during a public hearing about the annexation of the Doub Farm property at the intersection of U.S. 40 and Interstate 70. The hearing lasted past 10 p.m. After the meeting, the City Council voted 4-1 to adopt the city's comprehensive plan, which would allow the property to be zoned for commercial and professional office use. ...